NUIG study shows economic impact of caring for children with autism

Galway Bay fm newsroom – A new study from NUI Galway has shown caring for a child with autism can cost a family almost 30 thousand euro a year. The figure comes from a survey conducted by NUIG and shows that families whose children are more severly affected or who have more than one child with autism, face significantly higher costs. 15 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders surveyed in the study were from lone parent families who faced particular challenges in meeting care needs. Costs include private autism spectrum disorder services, lost income and informal care. Lead Author from the study, Áine Roddy says there's a large disparity between costs paid by the state and those footed by the family. For more on this story tune in at 2…